I've been hanging around here long enough, it's about time I contributed something.  Ok, it's really next to nothing but technically next to nothing is a small bit of something.  In my defense, the word something is a purposely vague quantification to begin with so essentially you are getting what I promised, next to nothing but similarly something.

Without further promotion here are your NFL Video choices of the week:

49ers vs Vikings Previews

NFL Films Week 3: 49ers vs. Vikings Preview. Simple analysis, lots of team highlights and a bit of build up.  Ya, I love this stuff.

Here is Adrian Peterson reassuring fantasy owners about his upcoming match up against the stout the 49ers defense.  He says he's got it all figured out yet looks a bit uncomfortable when asked about Patrick Willis.

Speaking of Adrian Peterson vs Patrick Willis, NFL Network has it topping their Top 10 matchups for WeeK 3

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Play along as 49ers punter Andy Lee punts a hole into the Dallas Cowboys stadium scoreboard.  What's better than a new $1.2 billion dollar stadium?  Well how about a new $1.2 billion dollar stadium where the designers neglected to raise the scoreboard high enough to avoid the leg of the lonely punter.  It's not every day you get to see David toss his stone to knockout Goliath.  In this case the stone is the punted pigskin and Goliath is the swelling pride of America's Team's super stadium.  Luckily for us, there is a drinking game that lets us all play along.

Fooch's Note: Just an amazing idea by bignerd!  It's always entertaining to develop solid drinking games.  Personally, I'd change "one shot" to "one drink of beer" or something like that.  Otherwise, you're going to be passed out rather quickly, wouldn't you say?  Or maybe that's the point given that it's preseason.  Also, I changed the title to "Drinking Game" instead of "Shooter Game" so everybody's a little more clear on it.  Enjoy...

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I think after the worst season in franchise history followed by the H-bomb dropped at the lottery some of us just need a place to vent and let out the frustration.  Let’s make a deal. You keep the "hey, keep your head up optimism" out of this thread and we'll keep the bitter, pessimism out of the rest.

Yes, I know we have Petrie and he will find the best player out at #4.  Not to mention, he's probably best guy to have to lead us out of this rabbit hole.  Still, it doesn't look like the franchise will be getting that star boost in 2009-2010.  Hopefully, he finds another solid player and we can finally land the franchise changer next year. Right now that looks like best case scenario (gulp, let’s hope).  It would be nice to have one potential game changer on the roster. Every other team at least has hope and some guy to point to!  Even Washington can look forward to the return of Gilbert Arenas.

Personally, I can write Bill Simmons next column.  Clippers season ticket money is already in the mail.  He'll make the argument that Mike Dunleavly was a visionary and tanked the season to land Blake Griffin as it was the only way to save the Clippers from obscurity.  His better judgment will kick in and return Dunleavy to lucky, idiot status.  He will than talk himself into believing Dunleavy will trade Eric Gordon and Griffin to the Celtics for Ray Allen and Big Baby Davis. Or he will argue the best teams should get the best players after this Clipper, Memphis, OKC disaster . . . is there a better time to argue it?

Speaking of apocalyptically bad trades, you do know Memphis holds the #2 pick, right!?  75% chance Rubio ends up the next mega-star Laker for freaking Trevor Ariza. Just so the Lakers don't feel jipped after the last deal, Memphis will throw in Marc Gasol.

How the *%!@ did OKC end up with the 3rd pick!?!?!  In the last 3 drafts they have picked 2nd & 5th (2007), 5th (2008) and now 3rd (2009).  Sorry to be so damn bitter but they already have two young stars in Durant and Westbrook.  That franchise can KMFA! WTF have they done to get so lucky?  They had a good team that kicked our ass in the playoffs than traded them away to rebuild because "they felt like it".  There ex-owner sold the team the to the devil cause he was whining cry baby.  The devil promptly stole the Sonics and moved them across the country.  Maybe Joe and Gavin ought to create a Gestapo to attack season ticket holders if that’s how karma and luck works.

Finally, I'm looking forward to Blake Griffin's superior size and movability landing him a U-Haul sponsorship.  The irony of his face plastered across the moving trucks pulled out in front Arco Arena is just too perfect.

Again, this is pessimist thread.  It’s much needed for some of us.  Keep your silver lining thoughts out (you have all the other threads). If you ask me, that silver lining spells out "Suck It Sacramento!"

FOOCH'S NOTE: Very solid article.  Thought I'd roll this to the front page.

Every NFL pundit is going to shout this headline between now and the end of the 2009-2010 season.  If you've already been watching NFL Network, ESPN NFL Live, or been reading the numerous NFL sources online than I'm sure you've read the answer to this question:

Can the Arizona Cardinals repeat there trip the Super Bowl? (always accompanied with a little chuckle)

Answer: Of course.  There are obvious flaws on that team and they benefited from some luck last year. However all they have to do is beat up on their weak division opponents to get themselves back in the playoffs.  We know, once you’re in the playoffs anything can happen.  Look at the Cardinals last year!

Consider this article a declaration of war.  Not on the Cardinals, but every pundit, TV analyst, journalist, beat writer or beatnik who utter this answer again.

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I'd like to touch on a few of the big picture revelations that were exposed in the draft.  We've already feverously debated draft the picks, players, strategies and expections.  Consider this article the Lewis Black News that Slipped Through the Cracks segment of the 2009 NFL draft.

Scott McCloughan drafts for BPA

He said his philosophy is to draft the best player available regardless of need.  Certainly proved to be true on draft day.  Michael Crabtree WR (BPA) over Michael Oher OT (Need), 1st Round 2010 pick (BPA) over 2nd Round 2009 pick (Need), Glenn Coffee RB (BPA to Scotty) over Big or Speedy compliment RB (Need), Nate Davis QB (BPA) over any OLB, OT (major need).  Yep, the man wasn't lying. For the teams sake lets hope next years draft aligns BPA with Need.

Jimmy Johnson's Draft Chart is Broken

The Jets barely gave up anything to get Cleveland out of the #5 pick.  Swap of 1st round picks (#5 exchanged for #17), a 2nd round pick and 3 players the Jets were not going to play.  Even sadder, the Browns traded back two times in the 1st round only to obtain two 6th round picks for the effort.  Than again maybe the Browns are just stupid.  The Patriots received substantially more for trading out of later picks.

Mike Nolan is being Setup as the Fall Guy in Denver

Poor Mike Nolan, desperate for a job he unknowingly hitched his wagon to the biggest con-artist in the NFL, Josh McDaniels.  Before McDaniels decided to trade his best player and franchise QB in Jay Culter, all Nolan had to due was make a miniscule improvement to the Denver's defense in order to get that team on the winning track.  With Culter gone, Nolan has to improve that defense dramatically for Denver to be even competitive.  With 8 major holes on the Broncos defense what does McDaniels give Nolan for his 3-4 defense?  Robert Ayers a 4-3 DE and a rookie 2nd round CB opposite of Champ Bailey. For the kid's mental sake lets hope he is the backup this year.  Slick Rick McDaniels in an early move to keep his own job past 2009 uses the top pick on RB Knowshon Moreno.  When Denver gets crushed this season McDaniels will tout his increased production at RB to save his own ass while happily feeding Nolan and his outmatched defense to the angry, blood thirsty mob.

Chicks dig Wolverine

For the females of the house the NFL Draft coverage might as well be a blank, white screen with no sound. The Wolvernie Origins trailer plays and it takes a crowbar to peel them away from television.  I'm guessing his mutant power is pheromones.

Everyone can now predict a Raider Draft

Only two guys before the draft predicted the Raiders would draft Darrius Heyward-Bey in favor of Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin.  The rest of us knew better but didn't think they were crazy enough to do it.  For now on every football fan on the planet will be able to construct the Raiders draft board.  We should appreciate the simplicty of Al Davis's process. 

Two steps:

1. Download all the draft prospects from NFL.com and load into Excel.

2. Sort players by 40 yard time. Waala!

Attention High School Football Players hoping to play on Sundays! Do not accept any letter from a team that runs the Spread Offense!

I'm sure this wont' be popular in Lubbock either but it must be said.  NFL teams don't like players who played college in the spread offense!  You can be an NFL level talent, put up gawdy college numbers and be the star of ESPN's College Game Day and pro scouts will still look at you sideways.  An also-had talent like USC Patrick Turner playing in a Pro style offense gets selected in the 4th round while productive Quan Cosby in Texas Tech's spread goes undrafted.  Furthermore NFL sized and armed Graham Harrell and Chase Daniel who were both seniors and Heisman canidates go undrafted while a junior, publicly decried as unprepared by his college coach Mark Sanchez is the darling of the draft.  Even the Raiders gained consideration with critiques explaining that they choose Heyward-Bey because he came from a pro style offense.

Bottom line, scouts like to put on tape and evaluate what you can do.  To them watching you play in a spread offense is like predicting your vertical leap on Earth from tape of you jumping on Mars.  Rather than put their job on the line with a guess they will go with someone who can evaluate.

Attention High School Football Players hoping to play on Sundays! Find a college team that runs the 3-4 Defense!

Really, the math on this one is pretty simple.  Roughly 30% of NFL teams are now running a 3-4 defense whereas the percentage of college teams running the 3-4 defense is nowhere near.  Based on the same principal that NFL scouts like to watch and not guess, it appears the shortest route to the NFL stage is college production in a 3-4 defense.  For example, Larry English - he knows the LB role in the 3-4 and can rush the QB. Boom! He is now 1st round draft pick $$$!

The requirements are simple:  finish college weighing 260lbs+, ability to move in space, have pass rushability and use college for 3-4 defensive training. NFL teams will slit throats to draft you. Any uber-atheltic kid projected to be college DE/LB can meet this criteria.  An absolute must for any kid considered to small to play the 4-3 DE at NFL level.  If you need help finding a college who runs the 3-4 defense contact my friend Jeff Tedford. He guarantee's a top notch Division I football program with fantastic televison exposure with at least 5 major broadcast games each year (SEC opponent, USC, Oregon, Stanford, additional PAC-10 opponent and Bowl Game . . . and that's national, not just regional coverage!).  Also any soon to be 300lb+ kid who aspires to make a NFL salary for 8 years for merely fighting and occupying blockers in the trenches . . . Thanks!

Sorry to burst Mel Kiper's bubble but Michael Crabtree is not a top NFL prospect.  Top NFL WR prospects have tremendous size, speed and have demonstrated how to use those athletic attributes in college to make you believe they will dominate in the faster, bigger, tougher NFL.

Michael Crabtree in my estimation has demonstrated none of the above criteria to warrant such admiration and in my estimation is on route to becoming an infamous NFL bust.

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